Lights, warning lights and reflectors for use on bicycles and other vehicles are well known and have been widely used for years in promoting safe driving habits during dark or dimly lit driving conditions. Reflectors of varying colors have been placed on bicycles to reflect the lights from approaching vehicles. The reflectors have been mounted on the fenders, seats, pedals, handle bars and on as many surfaces as possible so that approaching vehicles can see that the bicycle is present and in the interest of safety, avoid an unwanted accident. Reflectors placed on the spokes of bicycle wheels are effective in not only the light that is reflected but in the circular motion that is distinctive of a traveling bicycle. Lights as well as reflectors have been adapted to the rotating wheel for the same reason. Emitting light in the distinctive rotational manner is an excellent indicator to approaching vehicles that a bicycle is present. Should the approaching vehicle or conditions fail to provide sufficient light to reflect off of the bicycle or any reflector on the bicycle, light emanating directly from the bicycle will eliminate that need.
Reflectors typically use mirrored surfaces or multifaceted lenses to reflect incident light. Lights typically use mirrored surfaces and direct the beam of light outward toward the direction preferred depending on the placement of the light on the bicycle and the optimum direction sought for giving notice to any oncoming vehicles. Power for the light source has been provided by mounting a battery within the light housing and by the use of hub mounted generators and wire leads connected to from the generator to the light source. Combinations of a light and reflector have been incorporated into a spoke mounted assembly. Switches have been added to the lighting circuits that require a positive manual action to switch the light on and off when needed. Centrifugal switches have also been incorporated into circuitry that uses the centrifugal force of the rotation wheel. The inherent objective or goal is to provide a warning and visual indication to oncoming vehicles that a bicycle is near and that safety be a prime consideration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,229 (Safety Device for Use on a Bicycle Wheel) issued to Modurkay on Jan. 16, 1979 discloses a combination of reflector and light for mounting on the spokes of a bicycle wheel includes the use of a battery clamped to the wheel hub. A socket receiving an electric light bulb is mounted within a housing having transmissive side walls and means for clamping the housing to spokes of the wheel with the light transmissive side walls facing laterally away from the wheel. The means for electrically connecting the light bulb socket in series with the battery includes a switch that enables one to turn off the light when it is not needed, thereby conserving the battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,972 (Illuminated Spoke Mounted Reflector for Bicycles) issued to Thomas et al. on Jan. 10, 1989 discloses a rotary electrical contact assembly that is mounted on the axle of a bicycle wheel. The rotary electrical contact assembly provides power from a conventional bicycle generator to light bulbs within reflectors mounted on the spokes of the bicycle wheel. A slidable switch on the rotary electrical contact assembly is connected to a shift cable for remote manual actuation by the bicycle rider. A constant or flashing mode operation can be selected.
U.S Pat. No. 4,787,014 (Spoke Mounted Bicycle Light) issued to Wodder et al. on Nov. 22, 1988 discloses a safety lighting device containing a self contained light source that is removably secured to the spoke of a wheel. The patent points out the excessive amount of night time fatalities that result from collisions between automobiles and young riders under the age of 14. Also pointed out is the fact that reflectors alone have limited distances in which they can be effective and typically lights provide only thin beams. It goes on to state how the use of generators are often unreliable, relatively expensive, and undesirable for use by these younger riders due to the drag that is placed on the wheel. In essence, the patent expresses the need for a low cost bicycle safety light which renders the cyclist highly visible to motorists, which is easy to install and maintain, and which will be accepted for long term use by younger riders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,390 (Light) issued to Galbert on Nov. 27, 1979 discloses a light that is mounted to the spoke of a bicycle wheel. The light turns off automatically when the bicycle is not being ridden, and turns on automatically in response to centrifugal force when the bicycle is being ridden. A light bulb is affixed to the wheel in a manner that orients the light's battery on an axis positioned radially or the wheel and that orients the light's battery radially inward of the light's bulb. A switch spring is provided that normally biases the battery out of electrical contact with the bulb when the wheel is not rotating, but which permits the battery to be biased into electrical contact with the bulb in response to centrifugal force when the wheel is rotating and thus turn on the light.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,144 (Illuminating Wheel Covers) issued to DiMaggio on May 14, 1991 discloses a rotating mercury switch which gathers mercury during rotation and causes a momentary electrical contact. Light emitting diodes (LED) are arranged in an array and activated by the mercury switch. A 9 volt battery is used as the power source for what is described as a unique and improved illumination wheel cover using advanced electronics to illuminate light emitting diodes, aesthetically arranged to create an illusionary effect.